Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Hub Home and a Satellite Home?
The Hub Home, like Grandma or Auntie’s house, provides tangible support to both the children and adults in the MFM Constellation. Typically the Hub Home is a licensed foster family home, or in some cases a residential treatment center, depending on the emotional and behavioral needs (acuity level) of participating children and youth.
A Satellite Home is one of 6 to 10 families (including foster and foster-to-adopt families, kinship, and birth parent families) in a Constellation providing full-time care to 1-6 children and/or youth.
What is the difference between a Foster Home and a Kinship Home?
Foster home are non-relatives who provide care to a child or youth in a family setting.
Kinship home are relatives (not a child or youth’s birth parents) that provide care in a family setting.
How can I be a part of a Mockingbird Family Model Constellation?
Foster parents and caregivers:
Because The Mockingbird Society is not a family support, foster parent licensing, or child placement/adoptive agency, you will need to talk to your service delivery agency about becoming part of an MFM Constellation. Call your agency to find out if there is an MFM Constellation in your area. If not, ask your agency to call The Mockingbird Society at (206) 323-KIDS (5437) about becoming an MFM replication site.
Public and private child welfare agencies (Host Agencies):
First, to replicate the Mockingbird Family Model, your agency MUST be a family support, foster parent licensing, or child placement/adoptive agency. The Mockingbird Society is a non-profit child welfare advocacy agency and does not supervise children in foster care, license foster care providers, or place children for adoption.
Secondly, determine whether the MFM is the right service delivery structure for your agency by reviewing the information available on our website, including the three-year evaluation of the MFM applied to foster care, conducted by the University of Washington, School of Social Work (2004-2006).
If your agency goals fit with those of the Mockingbird Family Model (supporting child/youth health, safety, social development and well-being; supporting families to prevent out-of-home placement; and/or restructuring and optimizing foster care delivery, including preventing child/youth placement disruptions, connecting siblings, supporting caregiver retention, and supporting connections to cultural identity), contact The Mockingbird Society at mfm@mockingbirdsociety.org. We will arrange a telephone discussion for you with the appropriate Department of Family Programs staff member who will be happy to answer your questions and describe the technical assistance and training process that is required to replicate the Mockingbird Family Model.
As a community member, how can I support a Mockingbird Family Model Constellation?
Community organizations, neighbors, and friends have an opportunity to support Constellations by becoming Community Resource Bank Partners. Community Resource Bank Partners are community members (such as a faith community or social/professional organization) who “adopt” a Constellation with the purpose of providing resources and services to Constellation families. Volunteers might coordinate fundraising events, clothing banks, or holiday toy drives for the Constellation, as well as provide tutoring, legal or medical advice, or other professional services such as tax preparation, plumbing, or computer technology.
For information on becoming a Community Resource Bank Partner, contact us at mfm@mockingbirdsociety.org.